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How I Met Your Mother Finale Review – Bittersweet Tears

*Disclaimer: I’m not usually this emotional or this angry with my reviews and rants but How I Met Your Mother is a show very dear to my heart so warning for fan tears, anger, and vented frustration

WARNING – MANY SPOILERS BELOW

I wasn’t one of the viewers who followed How I Met Your Mother from the start of the pilot. I picked it up around season 6 during the airing of the Subway Wars episode. I was at my grandmother’s house and was flipping through channels looking for something to watch. Needless to say, I loved the episode and I instantly fell in love with the characters. I quickly printed out a master’s list of the episodes from season 1 and powered through until the end of season 6 till I was fully caught up. The next Mondays for the next three years of my life would be spent waiting eagerly for the new episode every night or for the download to be uploaded so I could catch up on my favourite show. And really, it was my favourite show. No matter what the writers did to the character or the plot or how much the story went upside down and inside out, I defended it to before critics and haters and I just loved it unconditionally because I had hope that the ending would turn out to be the greatest happy ending to the greatest love story ever told.

First of all, the mother’s name is Tracy McConnell.

Second, as sad as the first part of episode 23 was, I loved it because it had all those classic aspects of HIMYM that I loved and will always love. The part with Robin disappearing from the group was sad. Yes, it was. But things happen because we grow up and we grow apart, but we still need each other for “the big moments in life.” And I would have been happy if the story just ended at the yellow umbrella moment at the train station, or Ted and Tracy’s wedding or even at some moment with the gang just SITTING IN THE BAR.

The How I Met Your Mother ending was a cop-out and it was just mean and unfair to the fans who have been watching for such a long time. Season 1 showed us that Ted, despite his pursuits of Robin, could not have a relationship with her cause they were just really different people. Season 2 showed us that although Ted and Robin could establish a relationship, they had no future, which is why their relationship ended. Ted wanted kids and Robin wanted a career first before anything, these two values persist till the end. Season 3 and 4 showed us that you can’t force a wedding to happen if both parties aren’t into it. Everyone gets one, THE ONE, and Stella wasn’t the one for Ted, which is why it ended poorly. Season 5 saw Robin and Barney as a couple but ultimately both of them weren’t ready to be with each other. Season 6 tied up a lot of loose strings with Marshall and Lily while hinting Barney’s wedding at the very end. Season 7 and 8 taught Robin and Barney that they were really in love with each other and that they were meant for each other. ALL THAT STUFF FOR THE ENGAGEMENT! AND THEN TWENTY-TWO EPISODES TO TELL ONE FRIGGIN WEDDING. AND THEN AS BEAUTIFUL AS THE WEDDING WAS, BARNEY AND ROBIN GET DIVORCED AFTER THREE YEARS.

What’s worse is that after the divorce, Barney goes back to being the same womanizing scavenging sewer rat. Everything he learned from Robin about being full, and not broken and feeling loved and being in love was just shredded in the first twenty minutes of the HIMYM finale. At the same time, I thought Barney would remain single and just GROWN UP after losing Robin says “if it wasn’t gonna happen with Robin, then it’s just not gonna happen with anyone.” Fine. I cried a lot when Barney picked up his daughter. That was arguably THE MOST TOUCHING MOMENT OF THE SERIES. But SERIOUSLY. HOLD UP CAUSE WHO THE HELL IS THE MOTEHR OF HIS CHILD?!?!?! WHO WAS THE #31ST SKANK?!?!? (Initially I thought that he and Robin had gotten pregnant despite Robin’s inability to give birth. I had some slim chance and hope that it would happen or at least Robin would go back for her). I’m glad that Barney “ultimately” changed because the birth of his daughter BUT I THOUGHT ROBIN HAD ALREADY CHANGED HIM. They made Barney and Robin’s relationship a sham.

I wouldn’t have minded if Ted just ended the story with the death. HONESTLY, CONSPIRACY STORIES SPUN AND PREDICTED BY FANS SHOULD NEVER COME TRUE cause 1) It’s really sad and 2) This is a sitcom and it never ends well with the death of “the mother,” the woman we’ve all been waiting NINE YEARS TO SEE. We didn’t even get any touching death scene with the mother and the kids.

BUT THAT’S NOT THE WORST PART.

THE ABSOLUTE MOST ANNOYING THING WAS THAT TED AND ROBIN GOT BACK TOGETHER AT THE END. For all the stuff that Ted spouted to us about THE ONE and DESTINY and the PERFECT GIRL, he settled quite a bit at the end and the writers just took a pen and wrote the ending of the story into its grave. As if the divorce and the illegitimate child wasn’t awkward enough for Barney X Robin fans, Ted had to go and get that stupid blue French horn and find Robin at her apartment under her window again. I don’t understand why Ted and Robin had to end up together. It just proves that Ted’s first gut feeling of true love was right, and there was really no point in making the series anywhere past season 1.

Conclusion and Last Thoughts:

And still. After all that heartbreak and all those tears and despite that not perfect at all ending. I still love the series and I will always love this series.

I loved Ted’s first moments under Robin’s apartment with the blue French horn and that stupid cheesy lovestruck grin on his face.

I loved Ted’s crazy night out and the pineapple incident.

I cried at Marshall and Lily’s wedding.

The Slapbet was epic.

I loved Swarley.

I will never forget Robin Sparkles.

I watched the intervention episode at least 10 times.

I can quote every line from Season 6’s “Subway Wars” because it will always be my first and favourite episode of the series.

Season 4 Finale’s “The Leap” inspired me to go out and try new things

Girls vs. Suits was the most Legen-wait for it- DARY episode.

I rooted for Barney’s perfect week.

I re-watch Season 5’s “Homewreckers” whenever I feel lost in life.

Barney and Robin were perfect together. They had an amazing wedding and they will always be perfect for each other in my heart.

Season 8 was my least favourite season but I still loved all the buildup for Season 9.

If my wedding weekend is as crazy as Barney and Robin’s, I’ll be happy.

In the end, if How I Met Your Mother has taught us anything, it’s that life is really more about the journey, its hardships, successes, the lessons and the people you share it with, rather than the ending.

What did you guys think of HIMYM? Loved the series hated the ending? Loved the series and ending? Annoyed that the series ran so long? Or are you an unconditional HIMYM fan like me? Let me know in the comments and thank you so much for reading and venting with me.